the.com/undercut
The haircut that makes a mess on top look like a decision, not an accident.
means To cut something shorter underneath than on top, or more broadly, to weaken someone's position by offering less — a lower price, less effort, less support.
from A straightforward compound of 'under' + 'cut,' dating to the 1800s, originally used in boxing and sports for a blow or stroke delivered from below. It spread into business and economics by the early 1900s for selling below a competitor's price, and into hairdressing for a style shaved close underneath while left long on top — the sense behind the existing essence.
- origin
- Military and prison style before fashion stole it
- 2010s revival
- Peaky Blinders made barbers rich
- also means
- Underpricing a rival to steal their customers
- maintenance trap
- Grows out into an awkward mullet fast